Cauchemar
by Olesy'lian
Summary: Discovering the assassin to be none other than Amelie, Lena finds herself drawing closer in efforts to rescue her from Talon's hands. Simultaneously, she sheds light into the resurrection of a new Overwatch along with Winston and Dr. Angela Ziegler. The trio begin to learn dark secrets once they take Widowmaker into custody, not only of Amelie's 'death' but of Talon itself.
1. Prologue

_Bang._

A hand beat against the tempered glass making little noise towards the outside. All was dark around, only a single light beat down her head above. She removed her fist and prepared another attack against the box. Her screaming was muted, floating away in a flurry of bubbles. She could not cry. She could not yell. Her voice was fading with her strength. Bang. Another attempt failed to be acknowledged. She knew there were people around her. They were watching, analyzing. What did they want? What could they need from her?

The water rose quickly where she stood only minutes before. She floated to the surface again, gasping as hard as she could to get what little air she could get. Her lungs clenched tight in her chest and sparked a pain she could not release. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as her desperate attempt to reach for air became dire. Somewhere in her mind told her she wouldn't die, but what screamed in her ears said different. The banging lessened its power, her eyes fluttered to stay open. What oxygen remained in her was creeping up her stomach to her throat and hung right on her lips before a loud sound echoed softly, lowering her weak body down along with the water.

The light above shone faintly through her wet lashes. She saw something blurry. They…are looking. _Observing._ Swelling causes her eyes to barely hold her vision on the figure that disappears back into the darkness. She felt the water at her fingertips slowly inch up, pouring in from beneath her as it took her body back into the frigid temperatures. Her heart pumps faster and fear pooled into the back of her mind. She leapt up, falling to her knees from the lack of balance and sliced them on the squared metal floor. Urged, she banged on the glass once more before shuffling away at the revelation of a shadowed face that peered into the box closely.

She screams, feeling her hot tears burn her cheeks as the man's scarred face and black beady eyes stare relentlessly at her. He is inanimate, simply watching her widened hands push against the glass behind her the faster the water rushes up her naked body. Her chest heaves with panic when the water reaches to her hips, semi-choking her with the amount of water already enclosed within her lungs. She coughs and makes little time to gather air. The desperate woman is to the surface and pushes her lips to the top of the box in effort to gather as much air as she could before submerging once more.

Her bloodshot eyes are to him. Her irises stark amber against the expanded veins.

The man walks away, his hands behind him.

"Continue the procedure. Make sure it imprints." His gruff voice demands to the doctor, who nods once. The doors slide and he exits, leaving the doctor alone to their thoughts. He hears banging once more and averts his somber eyes that had glanced to the woman's trembling hands on the glass.

 _10 more times._


	2. Recall

"Lena!" My boss called from the next room. My head overlooks the hundreds of different flowers that filled the backroom as I –yet again- wiped more dirt from the top of my hand to my forehead. The day's been extra busy since it's the weekend, particularly a Saturday. Mrs. Byrne looks at me along with a customer on the other side of the counter, who's waiting patiently with her wallet in hand. A youngish woman with medium chestnut hair chuckled in my way while I approached with a massive bouquet of the finest tiger lilies adorned with three deep red roses in the center. The wrapping paper on the vase's curves crinkled as I placed it as gentle as I could on top the counter which attracted a small pair of eyes to meet mine.

A boy, no more than the age of ten glances at me from below. My shadow covered his since the main light of the shop is right above our cash register. Amazed, his eyes sparkled as if he recognized me and with a gulp I draw back slowly to avoid any contact. _They can't know me._

I've been hiding it the best that I could under my apron and sweatshirt, but to no avail could I ever hide my accelerator's charger from plain sight. The metal was bulky around my chest and God knows for my thin body, I could never have goodies to even _catch_ an eye. From the back of my mind came a thought that provoked me to fear. I couldn't keep up this job, like the others.

As he was about to open his mouth I pressed a finger to my lips. He understood and kept silent until he was out of the store and gone from sight. I exhaled without knowing I had held my breath for so long. The first time this happened, a man exclaimed loudly much to my disliking. It was awkward having him in the store since he was ogling at me so much for being an ex-agent. I liked having people know who I was, but the painful memories that had shut down Overwatch kept eating at me too much for me to enjoy it. There were even some customers who didn't want service from me.

After locking the door and flipping the open sign, I went outside in the back, amidst the garden of the shop to sit down on my favorite stone bench. My lips curved into a small smile when feeling the cold texture on my fingertips. I heard Reinhardt's stoic voice ring in my ears, telling me to never give up and never stand down. Another voice I heard called for my name, this time a worried feminine one. My memories faded once I focused on the woman coming around the corner.

"Lena darling, why are you out here? What's wrong?" she asked, taking my hands and sitting right next to me.

I looked up at Mrs. Byrne's aging eyes who searched for answers. Looking towards the ground, I hadn't noticed my own sorrow until she mentioned it.

Gathering my words, I didn't know if I should say them or not. I hadn't really trusted her enough to pour out everything. But the depression was sinking me like a weight and I couldn't bear it any longer. "I…I miss my ol' job. That boy knew who I was…he was going to say it until I shoosh'd 'im quiet. It's been the fifth time today someone's recognized me."

She smiled softly and rubbed my arm. I grinned, returning the favor by showing my slight comfort.

"Oh, Lena. I know you miss it greatly. The others would too if they shared the same love as you."

I know they do. I answered mentally. Tilting my head tilted back, I sighed. "As much as I love this job –and believe me I do- I can't help but want Overwatch back. I grew up with it and it's hard having to live in hiding when the world hates me for doing what I loved best."

Mrs. Byrne smiled and shook her graying brunette head. I questioned her smile, which knew something I didn't. "Overwatch could very well come back and if it does, then it's you who made it happen."

"Me? I'm just myself…not like Jack or Gabriel-"

"You're you. I know you're passionate. Even here you've applied more effort than anyone I've ever hired. Even my son. He should learn a thing or two from you."

From the open door of the greenhouse I saw Henry's head turn and scowl. I giggled while she brushed him off playfully. "Put your back into it!"

After a few moments, we settled down our laughing and she continued, "What I'm trying to say is that if you wanted to, you could bring it back. You don't need others telling you what you can and can't do. Especially the government. Just because the world hates you, doesn't mean they don't need you. Think of me and my son. If I tell'm something he doesn't like, he'll hate me for it. But if it's hurting him, it's for his own good that I tell'm. People will listen to you Lena. They've always did."

"You sure about that?"

Waving her hand, she laughed. "If you can live with that accelerator strapped to your chest, I'm sure. It's not impossible. Nothing is if you put the effort. The world could always use more heroes like you, dear."

I smiled, this time with my heart well. She was right – I could. How though, I wouldn't know. I was nothing as brilliant as Jack Morrison, or as strong willed as Gabriel Reyes, or even Reinhardt. Those men proved themselves great during Overwatch's standing. I was only an agent, working alongside them to help stop the Omnic Crisis. But the world did need me. It needed us. There's still people out there that need our help and it hurts to just stand around knowing there's someone out there that needs saving.

Mrs. Byrne took hold of my sleeve before I set off for the night and whispered, "If _anything_ happens, you let me know. I've got your shifts covered."

I nodded, giving her a grand hug before walking down the street. As soon as I reached the curb of a building, I ran as fast as I could go. I loved when the wind blew against my face. Without using my accelerator, it was like sitting all day in a box, no stretching or anything. With it I could run so fast no one could see me until time stopped just a moment for me to blink again. I laughed, feeling the surge through my heart out each second I willed to blink again. The thoughts of depression I had vanished like they were never there. Doing this I was free, and alive as ever.

As I neared my home, my phone buzzed. I saw the notification I had placed a week prior that alerted me of Tekhartha Mondatta's coming to King's Row tonight. My eyes lit up with the thought of seeing him and so I ran faster to get ready and head out.

He's always been an inspiration to me and omnics alike. I was never the type to go against these bots despite fighting them during the Omnic Crisis. Some people gave me some backlash because of it, but they weren't created to be monsters. They had a choice just like us. Some of them chose to turn against humans, but others fought with us. Mondatta united those who were in fear of the omnics and those bots who were afraid to come out of hiding. He taught the world how to have peace again, and I couldn't wait to see him with my own eyes.

As I opened the doors, my eyes fell to the various computer screens in the operating room towards the back of the cathedral. A message rang out onto every one of them, flashing them a bright orange with the word **[URGENT]** in brackets.

I blinked to the main computer which was the main base of operations in the building for international communications with other bases. This was odd, there hasn't been a message like this in years...unless...

I gasped. Brushing dust off an ol' headset I hooked on the earpiece, adjusted the microphone wire to my mouth before frantically trying to press every key correctly for the password. One I logged into the system, my heart sunk deep in my stomach when I heard the static on the other end. The name on the screen was none other than my dear friend's.

"Winston is that you, love?" I smiled and couldn't believe what I saw. The Overwatch recall systems turning on, one after another, reaching to all servers and agents globally. "Aha, it's been too long!"

His voice was music to my ears when I heard him chuckle. "Yes, yes it has."

"What's happened?" I asked then. He wouldn't have turned on the recall systems if it weren't an emergency.

"Talon tried hacking into the systems. I-I think they were wanting information of the other agents."

My eyes widened. "Are you ok? Is everything alright?"

"Yes Lena, I'm ok. Just a few scratches on my armor. Athena's ok too. I got the malware out just in time before they hacked into everyone's profiles." I heard a sigh from the other line and I listened closely. "I had to do it. I couldn't watch the world fall without our help any longer."

"I know, love. I can't stand to watch it either. I'm so glad you came online...has anyone else contacted you yet?" I asked.

"Not yet. I just opened the servers and I called you first because I missed you the most. It's so good to hear you again." He said. I wiped my eye from the wetness that formed along the edge of my lashes.

"Yes Winston, I missed you dearly too."

"I'm headed over there right now. I just boarded on the aircraft and I'll be there less than an hour." He said. I heard static and the sounds of jets buzzing in the background.

"Wa- where'd you get a plane? Where are you?"

"I was at Gibraltar all this time. I'm flying the last of the sonic jets. I'll be landing in the London airport soon. Luckily Paul still works there so he'll take care of the plane for me. Oh and I've brought your locker." He laughed. From his tone I knew he was smiling.

"My locker?" I asked myself aloud. "You brought it?"

"Well I couldn't open it...so yes, I have it with me in the back."

I snickered, snorting as I couldn't help it. "You big sweetheart! I love you so much! I'll see you here soon! I'm in King's Row at the ol' cathedral base. I'll leave the window unlocked for you to enter. I'm not sure if I'll see you when you get here, since I'm going to see Tekhartha Mondatta tonight. He's making an entrance here and I can't miss 'im!"

"Alright. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for any...suspicious behavior. He's famous enough to be a target for anyone. And be careful if you do see anything." Winston said. From the typing I heard in the background, he was contacting the other agents already. I nodded and replied, "Yes Winston I know. I'll have you on call just in case. Safe travels!"

"You too Lena. Have fun!" He said and the line went flat.

I sat down on one of the swivel chairs and leaned back, sucking as much air into my lungs before expelling it through my mouth. My heart was pounding with excitement I kept glancing at the screen to make sure it was all real. I smiled to myself, giggling and blinking to where my dresser was by my makeshift bed. It was comfortable for a mattress on the floor. I was grateful to have one and several blankets for the cooler nights.

Opening the drawer I dressed in my ol' gear, fitting the skin tight jumpsuit on and stretching them to my comfort. I didn't want to admit they were a lil' tight but after slipping on my shoes and prancing my legs about, they were back to their original snug fit.

"Ah, there we go!" I said to myself confidently. I rested my latte colored leather jacket on my bed and brushed off a little dirt from the sleeves and marveled at it. My eyes fell upon the few scars on the material. I remembered getting them from some of the fights I was in. On the front lay the marks of my charger's straps indented into the leather. Even with the collar hugging my neck the wool inside was flat and wasted from all the times I've worn it.

Here came the hard part. I had to take my charger off to place the jacket on along with the top of my jump suit. Winston said before I could take it off and leave it once my accelerator was charged completely for at least an hour to do things like change clothes and shower. But each time I had it off I was terrified. It's why I always wash myself with a wet rag and treat my hair away from the shower. It wasn't the best way, but it was stress free and kept me clean.

I shivered from the thoughts that crossed my mind which haunted me frequently. Without my charger, I had a greater chance of disappearing again. It terrified me to think I could turn into a holographic ghost and leave existence again.

Being gone, I was alone and it was dark and quieter than anything else in the world. I couldn't move, I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat or even speak. I was rendered from existence for what felt like hours to me but in reality were weeks and months. But this was just for a moment and then I'd have it back on my chest. Simple as that... _right?_

I breathed as I knelt down onto the stone floor. _It'll be right there if anything happens,_ I assured myself. Cautiously, I removed my sweatshirt and exposed the device. Before I could undo the latches that rested on my shoulders, I had to wipe the forming sweat off my hands on my thighs. With a gulp I mustered my courage and slid the straps off my shoulders, placing the device gently onto my bed. Its power source deactivated as soon as I took it off and I felt the chill of cold air wrap around me like death's kiss. I rushed to put on my jumpsuit, stopping just for a moment to feel the scars on my chest. I breathed in deeply, feeling along the glass rims of the accelerator that was built within me.

It's like a second heart. The flow of time surged within me and this was the only thing keeping me anchored to the present. Winston was a genius when it came to my accelerator. I remember being told he worked on my charger day and night for me while I was going through my phases. He soon realized that the charger kept me anchored only temporarily and malfunctioned often because it lacked a stabilizer. After months of constructing a chronal accelerator room, he along with Angela operated on me endlessly till I was firmly placed in the present with the accelerator. I smiled, envisioning their exhausted faces that had lit up when they saw me well again.

Feeling the cold unbind me from my memory, I shook my head and strapped on my jumpsuit. The clothing stuck tight on my torso as I fit my breasts into the built-in cups which were great since I didn't have to worry about bras. Comfortably enough, the suit formed a 'V' line from the groove of my ribcage to my shoulders which I covered with a mustard tank top to fill in the gaps of my attire. Finishing off, I zipped my jacket, buckled up my charger and put on my gloves. The only thing that I had left to place on were my goggles, which were always tucked safely in the back with my guns.

 _Here I was,_ I thought while looking at my reflection in the bathroom. _Dressed in my uniform._ I couldn't stop smiling since I was really in my full gear again. I brushed my shoulders and adjusted my collar for final touches. It felt so wonderful to have the ol' clothes on again.

I turned slightly to the side and saw the badge I received while I was in my aviation courses. I had patched it on once I first got it to never forget where I came from before my accident. I was a pilot. Now I was an adventurer fighting for humanity in Overwatch's name.

I drew my guns within my arm holsters and beamed with a widespread grin. I placed my goggles on with pride, my surroundings exploding into a vivid tangerine. Seeing the world through my lens lit a flame in my soul. I giggled from all concealed excitement and rushed out the doors, sprinting through the cobblestone alleyways and streets with a blue stream chasing behind me.


	3. Cold Blooded Killer

The moon was high when I approached the forming crowds, slowing my pace a block earlier to catch my breath. There were some people jumping and hollering, those of whom were omnic activists. The men in suits who stood around the scene controlled them enough not to go across the line of the stage, which held an oak podium and two honey colored banners on each side with the symbol of the Shambali.

I heard them begin to chant Mondatta's name while they drew up their signs and pounded their fists into the night sky. Some of the signs said simple things to express their opinions like, 'Peace,' and 'we love you!' There were also lots of bots amidst the people which caught my eye. King's Row was a very anti-omnic neighborhood and had always been so. I passed by a few of them and saw the determination in their actions, knowing this was their only chance to express themselves publicly.

It made my heart leap to see how brave they were to come out of hiding. I loved fighting, but there was something better in peace that I loved more. The world was so torn after the bots' betrayal that it set a rift between what was safe and what wasn't. It was when Overwatch was called to protect not only terrorized humans, but also omnics. We were a beacon of hope for all people, no matter where they came from or who they were. But we also knew who was wrong and we fought hard against it to bring civilians all over the world the peace that Mondatta believed in. I for one have always wanted it and since the first time I heard of him he fueled me with his wisdom.

I eased my way into the people without deterrence as they were too focused on the empty stage in front to notice my charger. I wedged into a small clearing and picked up on a little girl tugging on her mother's sleeves and calling her name excitedly. From behind I smiled to myself as a new light kindled within me. Maybe it was my uniform, maybe it was just because I was about to see my inspiration. I was out here; I was exposed as an agent; not simple Lena Oxton anymore.

I watched as Tekhartha Mondatta stepped out from backstage once his bodyguard signaled him everything was ready. Around me, the chanting subsided and I glanced curiously since there were no cameras or news crew present. _That's a little odd…_ I thought. Guessing he didn't want the publicity, granted King's Row was the least accepting of omnics in the world. He was brave to come here. More brave than I could have ever been.

I had inched my head a little higher, weaving my eyes to find a clear sight of him from the sea of heads surrounding me. He glanced around calmly with his hands behind his back. It amazed me how omnics showed character and emotion despite having glowing dots on their heads and thin horizontal rectangles for eyes.

"Human, machine. We are all one within the Iris." His metallic voice rang. It was everything I had ever dreamed of coming from him personally. Everyone, including myself clapped and cheered to such a simple sentence.

"Before me I see the future. Humans and Omnics standing together in compassion." He continued. My grin faded as my eyes glanced towards the head security guard who had raised his arm to listen to his earpiece. His forehead creased, his eyes looking towards the night sky above the rooftops behind his shades. Where he looked, I did as well, though I saw nothing but moonlight reflecting on the stone structures of the building walls. I felt in my core something wasn't right, so I went to go investigate myself.

Walking down the empty streets my ears picked up sounds of rats squeaking underneath the sewers, droplets of water falling into puddles amongst the alleyways. All was quiet until I heard a clang of metal, a reel and footsteps running swiftly above me a few stories high. I ran out onto the street, noticing a figure escape my sight just as fast as it went along the ridge of the building. What sounded like heels clacked against the stone faintly before suddenly, eerie silence.

I darted the next alley over, feeling the churning of my insides worsen like lava under the earth. In the back of my head was a pain so sharp it screamed at me that if I didn't find anything soon, it could be too late. My teeth grit as I searched the tops of the roofs from below. That figure wouldn't have been any animal. It was someone, and they had to be around here. As my hopes died down as each moment passed, I saw a glint of steel. It was so miniscule but it was enough to find the wire that was hung over the side of a building over. I saw from behind the curves of a woman armed with a giant rifle, hanging from the wire wrapped around one leg, too concentrated to see me spring to action.

But she did as I turned my pistols to her. The woman's red beaded goggles retracted from her eyes, quickly glancing to me bouncing onto a ledge. She released the wire she hung from, sinking down a level before back flipping, shooting her sniper-turned-assault rifle at me. Time seemed to slow as we exchanged fire, her eyes burning into mine like golden venom.

She crashed into a window, unharmed by the glass trickling her skin. For a moment I saw her clearly with the lighting from the building she was staring at me from as she rewound the metallic wire back into her arm brace.

Her skin...was blue. A medical phenomenon Angela would have agreed. I brushed my thoughts out of my head since this was no time for thinking. This was about doing. I landed opposite of her, meeting eyes with her again. She stared as if waiting for me to respond, which I did.

"Trying to crash another party, love?" I said, raising my pistols to her. "Ha!" As I fired, she flipped once more over the balcony behind her and went up with the grappling hook that had connected to the ceiling above.

When I came to where she was a moment before, I felt a sting on my face when she kicked me. It wasn't hard enough to knock me off balance, but gave her enough time to get a step ahead of me. That wasn't going to happen though. I sprinted up the flight, avoiding her bullets as she twirled her rifle in my way, shooting as she shot up the spiraling flights of stairs. I saw out of the corner of my eye her face which seemed to have been glued to mine since we came into contact. I was a little surprised. Never had anyone matched my speed in combat.

I made it to the top, sliding my shoes on the rugged floor a few moments after her to a swung open door. I ran outside, finding myself on a rooftop. I gasped, escaping to the side as I saw her kneeling adjacent to me with her gun firing straight in my direction. Her bullets hit the concrete wall I had my back to. I pressed one button on my bracer and quickly invaded the guard's servers using Overwatch's database. I held the built in walkie-talkie close to my ear, practically yelling over the microphone from my adrenaline. My heart beat vigorously as I tried my best to steady my words. It's been a while since I was caught in enemy crossfire and she was very fast.

"Mondatta's in danger! Shooter on the roof!" I exclaimed. I still saw bullets firing which was good, she hadn't escaped yet. "I repeat, shooter on the roof!"

The head of security responded, "This is a secure channel. No one's all-"

"Mondatta's in danger!" I yelled, frustrated that they weren't listening. "Get 'im out of here!"

A few more bullets flew past me and I rolled my eyes when I heard him ask to identify myself. I hated when people didn't listen to me. It was like they think what I say is a joke. Clearly if a person is warning another that someone is in danger of being assassinated and the other thinks, _in any way_ that it's a joke, then they've got their head stuck in the gutter. I brushed off my rant with a huff and turned around with my pistols aimed as soon as I heard no more fire.

I looked around. She's… _gone…?_

My eyes scanned for the woman but she was nowhere in sight. Bloody hell! I cursed, frustration sweeping me with guilt as I let myself get distracted with my feelings.

I saw a block of so away from me two men armed with rifles ready themselves, looking about for anything. The guard I had contacted had alerted those on watch that there was a shooter, which was good because Mondatta was heading to safety now.

I saw her come out of nowhere, flipping above the guard's head. There was no reaction time from him as she landed square on his shoulders with such force that dirt clouded his fall. She rolled on the ground, taking out the other guard who fired aimlessly at her with a backwards kick to the hip.

I blinked towards the guards, bounding straight for her after snapping back into reality. She turned the corner, never losing her footing, moving gracefully through the large pipes and units that were in her way, bravely through the gunfire of the men on the next roof.

I had to move faster. She was taking these men out one after another so quick it matched my heartbeat. I didn't want to admit I was impressed, but her speed was impeccable enough to not go without credit. The woman pulled the same maneuver on the first guard she encountered, disarming him quick after slamming him down with her weight on his shoulders. She turned to the next guard, shooting him dead. A third man came running to the scene, only to be shot in the chest and knocked unconscious with a solid kick in the face.

She shot three more times over to the guards on the next building over, this time with her elongated sniper rifle. Each bullet found their new home right in their chests, which I had to witness sadly. _I couldn't let their deaths get to me. Not now._

Leaping into the air and doing a flip, I saw the ends of her ponytail escape below to a curve on one edge of a building's side. She made a run for it, me hot on her tail.

I saw a large gap between two buildings right ahead and glancing at her I thought, she wasn't going to make it. Her actions countered my doubt and she easily leapt over the gap to the other side. I landed right after, only to stumble when a magenta gas cloud suffocated me.

I skidded along the stone, curling into a loose ball. My chest tightened as the gas cloud was restricting more air into my lungs. She must've put that trap down for me, I concluded.

When I coughed to expel the seemingly intoxicating gas, I felt her place her heel on my arm. My skin turned pale as her sniper's nose came dangerously close, aimed right to my temple.

She smirked once my attention was to her. I couldn't grasp why she wasn't killing me. She could right now but she chose to speak. With a thick French accent, she said, "Such a sweet, _foolish_ girl."

 _Foolish?!_

I rewound time, recalling my movements till I was right in the middle of jumping. Instead of going the way I came from, I blinked up, flipping till I was facing her upside down in mid-air.

"What's that?" I said, challenging her back.

I shot right at her, knowing she'd duck with her razor sharp senses. I hit the pipe behind her, causing it to erupt steam that blinded her like her trap set for me. It gave me enough time to whip out my pulse bomb which would give Mondatta enough time to flee to safety. I threw it like a frisbee, having it curve from the side in her direction.

She glanced around from within the steam. Her eyes widened as the bomb came closer to her and with the quickest reaction, she shot the bomb.

I blinked back just as the flames consumed me. Time slowed again when I felt weightless. I heard the crowds below, screaming as the explosion was right where everyone was. Their screams echoed in my ears, drowning as my eyes caught the woman staring right at me as she fell counter to me. Her perfectly curved brow raised slightly, as if she had won our short feud by pulling the best comeback ever. She aimed her sniper rifle a hair lower, which I realized was at my heart. Goosebumps formed on the back of my neck while my veins carried electricity so powerful it rendered me paralyzed. Then I heard the powerful shot and I closed my eyes.

A mere second and I was gasping for breath, patting the metal of my charger struggling to believe I was still alive. I heard her land, striding towards with a smirk I came to hate as she rested her gun on her swaying hips. She watched me like a hawk with her golden eyes, glancing below. "Looks like the party is over."

I questioned her with a puzzled face but as soon as the crowd's anguished cries came to my senses, my stomach flipped and I nearly fell over the side when I ran to it. I felt my eyes water and sting from the salty tears that escaped them. "No…no…no!"

 _I...I failed._

 _She won._

"No, no, no, no!" I felt her eyes pierce my back like knives. The guilt strangled me by the knot in my throat. I turned to her, my anguish turned into rage and I attacked her, causing us to roll around till I had her pinned down right over a ledge.

My fingers nearly dug into her shoulders. She groaned to herself from the pain, watching me now with cold dead eyes. A few tears wet her blue cheeks as I caught her within my eyes. She was a deadly beauty up close. Her eyes held me down with their possession making me furious along with the intoxicating smell of smoke that came from her clothing. I grasped her even harder, forcing myself out of her spell.

"Why?" I yelled, voicing my suffering. She wouldn't have cared either way. My lip quivered as I struggled to find words with the grief that had washed over me. "Why would you do this?"

My answer was a laugh. She laughed dryly and I felt it bubble up her chest and out of her lips. My head flurried with so many thoughts I couldn't comprehend what was happening. All I knew was I was face to face with a cold blooded killer.

I wanted to punch her. I wanted to scream. There were so many things I wanted to do but so little time. It was ironic and depressing that I couldn't control time around me. I could only manipulate my own and I hated myself for it. I hated her with a passion. Her very presence infuriated me.

I balled my left hand into a fist and before I could do anything I felt a strong wind blow against my back. An aircraft, menacingly black with thin red lights hovered over the area like a helicopter, shining a bright spotlight on us.

The woman ripped my attention from the aircraft by the collar of my jacket and brought my face close to hers. She was so close I could feel her breath on my lips.

"Adieu, cherié." She whispered with a firm stare. My eyes widened when I recognized those exact words.

She grabbed hold of me, flipping us off the edge of the building. The woman slammed me hard against the wall with her legs on my chest. Backflipping, she left me to fall off with a hard thud when I landed rolling.

I shifted my body along the cold stone ground, coughing weakly. My forehead was pressed against it as I gathered myself in an effort to stand. I fell, feeling my body pulse with negative energy radiating from my chest. My thoughts were all over the place, spiraling out of control as my other senses came back to me.

 _He is dead because of you._

I stumbled back again and curled into a ball hearing the accelerator strapped to me glitch. My hand felt for any damage, luckily the core was unharmed. Only the sides were affected which I did not understand why. I felt a deep pang in my heart that stung tears into my eyes. I shut them tightly when I began to hear a familiar cry echo in my ears. It was from a dream I had…but it was too real to be some figment of my imagination. I glanced back up to the place where I fell from, witnessing with my own eyes the black aircraft hover above me before it disappeared into the night sky.

Perhaps the pang in my heart was not because of my accelerator, but because deep within me I knew that voice. A voice I so vaguely remember coming back to haunt me like a nightmare.

It was her.

 _It was Amélie._


	4. It's Her

_Ugh._

I woke up to an acute pain in my chest that seemed to clench my lungs and limit my breathing. Slowly I opened my eyes, blinking several times before they adjusted to the light. I saw the familiar cream walls that surrounded me along with the crates and boxes that were littered around. The longer I looked the more I gathered I was in my room and in the comfort of my bed.

I shuffled my legs under the covers and shifted to rise on my elbows. I screamed, falling back down again. The normal strength it took me to lift myself was too sudden and the pain on my sides jolted through my body like needles. I felt lighter than usual...which was odd. I glanced down out of curiosity and saw slight cleavage through my tank top. Shit.

My heart beat faster. Questions crossed my head as my hand touched my chest, cautiously feeling my sides to find healing patches where the pain was.

My eyes looked around for my accelerator's charger but it was nowhere in sight.

After a minute of struggling, I swung my shoe-less legs over the side of the mattress. Lifting myself, I went to the bathroom and saw that I was still dressed in my orange jumpsuit. The top part of it was pulled down, leaving me only in my tank top. Carefully I raised the ends enough to see the two patches that were wrapped around the lower section of my ribs. They sent a cooling sensation to dull the pain, which was effective the longer I thought about it.

I heard footsteps my way. My head turned to the open door, and I saw the large curious eyes that came in contact with mine. His presence alone brought me so much joy that I smiled widely and called for him. "Winston!"

"Lena, you're awake!" He said, looking me over. I was so overwhelmed to see my friend I hadn't realized I exhaled sharply.

"Easy there, you don't want to apply too much pressure."

I went to hug him, ignoring his words. It's been years since I last saw this ol' guy, at least six. When you haven't seen someone you care for dearly for that long, nothing stops you from the joy of seeing them again. Chuckling, he took my thin body with an arm and breathed. "It's so good to see you again. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner...I had some trouble back at the airport. Apparently it's odd to see a scientist trying to catch a taxi..."

I smiled widely when he adjusted the small glasses on his nose. "Well duh, people don't normally see a scientist who happens to be a gorilla too."

"Hah...I suppose." He huffed going back to check my accelerator. With a finger he analyzed it closely as I stood stiff. I had almost forgotten that my charger was off me and I grew worried again.

"How long had I been without my charger...?" I asked nervously. He looked up at me from his glasses.

"About two hours. I've been watching you closely, don't worry," Winston assured me, and continued. "Your charger was only damaged slightly, luckily it wasn't worse. I only had to tweak it so it's ready to be put on again. What's interesting is that it was electrocuting you enough so that your accelerator stayed charged to last half an hour more."

My eyebrows raised. "And I was without it for that long?"

"Yes. I believe the electricity affected you enough to stay charged longer. I'll have to study this more though. My theories aren't clear so we can't make assumptions yet." He said, nudging me gently with a toothy smile.

For the first time since I woke up, I relaxed and released the tension in my body with a few exhales. I felt my accelerator surge within me, reminding myself that Winston was here and if anything were to happen, he'd be here to help. I went with him down to the main quarters where there were a few jars of empty peanut butter laying around from the storage rooms. After helping me down from the tall ledge where my room was, there was a knock on the large doors to the opposite of the vast cathedral and the sound of a car engine that drove away.

"Uh, I'll get that." Winston said, leaving me along for a minute while he walked over to answer.

I saw my locker placed neatly in one corner and went to it since Winston took the time to actually bring it to me. I thought for a moment before guessing the fuzzy digits in my mind, turning the knob and successfully unlocking it to see the few items I had stored years ago.

Apart from the few shirts and extra accelerator straps that still hung on the racks, I blew away the dust that lightly coated some taped photos. There were ones of Winston and me hugging, another where my graduate class were back in the grand hall for lunches with other agents, myself with other friends I had made back at the Swiss Headquarters. I smiled as I glanced over the other few pictures, noting one that was hidden underneath a few random photos. I pulled it out, dusted it off with my thumb and from that moment my heart sunk.

"Zum Teufel Reinhardt, ich habe nicht gesagt du sollst aufhören die medikamente zu nähmen nur weil du dich jünger fühlst!" I heard a woman scold. Rolling a large white suitcase with a purse slung on her arm, I turned my head to see Dr. Angela Ziegler irritated with her phone in hand. She cursed in German and was ready to yell into the phone when her eyes lit up when she saw me. She dropped everything and ran to me with open arms.

"It's so good to see you Lena!" she said, taking me into her. My chest tightened from the sore memories that were rising but I swallowed them with the best smile I could muster. After all, I was seeing one of my favorite people again.

"It's good to see you too, Ang. How you been?" I asked, walking towards the computers. Winston had taken the fallen suitcases and placed them near where we were quietly. Before he sat, he helped me to put on the accelerator which was on a rolling table near the desk I sat onto.

"I was just in the Middle East aiding wounded people with some soldiers I met while I was in the United States a few months ago. When I heard Winston say that you were in danger, so I had to come here. I couldn't risk having another Talon attack wipe out any more of us…" she said, drawing a stethoscope from her purse to put in her ears out of habit.

"So, I wanted to see how you were doing." She smiled. Angela listened to my pulse and with a few things from her highly advanced kit, she began measuring my overall health.

"I've already done that, Angela. No need to recheck." He said from his seat on the floor. I turned back to the doctor who scoffed with a smug grin.

"Better to check again than to confirm once."

My fingers gripped the photo that was still between my fingers. "It wasn't a Talon member though. Well...I mean she was, but not originally."

Angela withdrew the metal end from my chest and raised my shirt so that she saw the healing patches. She gently removed them from my sides and with a feathery touch she examined the area for any broken bones.

"What do you mean 'isn't a member'? It was clearly an attack by Talon and they almost killed you!" Winston said from where he sat, a few feet away on the floor. He was typing to the other agents who were contacting him through text.

Angela took from her purse a small device I knew to be a tiny Caduceus staff. It was a miniature version of the much larger staff she carried around when she went on missions in full gear.

When she pressed the trigger on the top, the end of it broke up into three rotating pieces like a magnetic spear with the end generating a sunlit glow. She drew it close to my ribs till the streams of light touched my skin gently. I felt the smooth sensations course into my wounds and wash me over with relief; my cells regenerating at triple their normal speed. She was busy per usual, never focusing on what was being said till her procedures were done.

"She didn't kill me. If she wanted to, she would have, which is strange..." I was in her way like the rest of the guards there. She killed them but not me, even when she had the chance to split my head open with a bullet. I shook my head. "But that's not the point. She wasn't-"

"Who are you talking about?" Angela finally asked, eyeing me suspiciously with her crystal blue eyes. She had slung the stethoscope around her neck and leaned against one of the desks.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Amélie."

That got Angela's attention. She shifted herself to cross her arms. "A-Amélie Lacroix?"

"Yes! I saw her with my own eyes! She's alive!" I said growing louder out of excitement. Winston turned his head and furrowed his brows.

"Whoa, whoa. You can't just jump to conclusions. There's no evidence that proves it's her." He said, trying to calm me down with a hand gesture.

I retorted. "I know who I saw, Winston."

"How are you sure?" Angela said. My nerves calmed since she knew a better way to respond like always.

I looked at the photo again, tears welling up in my eyes. The last time I had seen her was before my test flight - before I became disassociated. It seemed so long ago that I almost forgot her smile, her laugh. This Amélie was nothing like the Amélie I knew. Before she was tender and kind. Now she was a hollow shell of the past.

"She spoke to me the exact same way Amélie did last time I remember. She's completely changed…I didn't even recognize her till she said that to me." I said as my head lowered. I gathered the events that happened tonight, visualizing sparks of gunfire and her piercing golden eyes on mine.

Angela's expression grew pensive. She knew Amélie too, before. As soon as I had mentioned her name, she was intrigued. I'm not sure how close they were, but I had seen them together multiple times bantering and conversing. "What do you mean?"

"Well…it was really odd. Her skin was blue like she was frozen in ice for a long time. Her hair was longer and her eyes are gold instead of green. For the longest time, I thought she was someone else. She's so cold and emotionless...I couldn't imagine what turned her into this."

"Blue skin? That certainly is something I haven't come across before unless, like you said, it was through some sort of cold temperature." She said, partially thinking out loud.

I nodded. Winston was starting to grow irritated, I knew it by his glances.

"Yeah, it was so weird. She was also so fast I almost couldn't catch up to her. It's like she's super human."

Angela dryly chuckled. "Heh, where have I heard that before. Is there anything else you saw?"

"No...but Mondatta is dead..." I squeezed out. I still couldn't believe he was gone. Like the assassin she was, she did what she was ordered to do. I was still in shock but what I knew now changed me. She was controlled by Talon and what she did was not her fault.

"No, it can't be..." She gasped, touching her mouth with her fingers. "Lena I'm so sorry."

Though it was my long lost friend, the pain of losing him plagued my conscience and never ceased to bother me. I was the reason he died. He would have been alive if it weren't for my mistakes, as well as Amélie.

"We have to help her." I concluded. I couldn't save Mondatta, but I could save Amélie again. "If we could try and find a way to get her out of there I-"

"No!" Winston roared, slamming his fists down onto the desk and caused everything on it to shake roughly. He stood on his hind legs and looking down on me like a disowned child. His chest was puffed out angrily.

I gulped and pursed my lips shut. Only once did this happen, and it wasn't directed to me. "We will not do that. Don't you know the dangers, Lena? Are you out of your mind? Whoever you saw was not her and if she was, she's the same one who killed both Gérard and Mondatta. Unless you forgot that already."

My chest tightened. Mondatta was an inspiration to me, but Amélie was more important when it came to choose between them. I was with her, I knew her personally. What she did made me depressed yes, but it couldn't have been out of her own will. She was influenced and changed completely by Talon. Amélie was there; I knew it, she was just buried within this new persona.

He continued. "Think of what could happen if you were to try and help one of them. You'd be just as dead as them."

"Winston, I think that's enough." Angela said, holding my arm and glaring at him sternly. He snorted but was faced with guilt the more he looked at the doctor.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get out of hand." He said shyly, backing away and sitting back down onto the floor with his head lowered.

The corner of my mouth twitched into a lopsided grin. He was right. It was dumb to think I could just go into a terrorist organization and take one of their assassins. I was just a former agent, nothing more. We all were.

"It's ok big guy." I said, my words softly making their way from my lips. "I just…aren't we Overwatch? Even though we aren't agents anymore it doesn't mean we can't carry on its legacy. We help people; it's who we are right? We all knew her. She was one of us. Whatever Talon did to her, we can help remediate and I can't do that alone."

I turned to Angela and pointed to her then Winston. "You're the best doctor in the world and you're the best scientist. There isn't a thing you guys can't do. You did save me from being a virtual ghost so…what's the difference between that and someone from Talon?"

A smile grew on Angela's face. "Yes, that is true."

"You recalled us because you couldn't take having the world destroyed anymore. The UN doesn't control us now and neither should Talon with her if we help." I said turned to Winston, hopeful that he'd at least change his mind this time. I couldn't have my hopes too high though, since he was a stubborn fella.

"It's just not a good idea. You saw it yourself Lena, that person killed Mondatta and they nearly killed you! You have to think of the consequences before you act. Overwatch can't save everyone, especially someone that doesn't exist anymore."

I felt my lip quiver and I blinked up the balcony, back to my room. I couldn't believe my good ol' friend would say something like that to me. At least he could try and believe me without all his stupid 'facts'. I kicked an empty bottle of rum that laid around my bed and watched it clink over to a pile of soda cans and magazines. I felt so angry at him, I had to control my temper since my ribs were starting to hurt. Gently I rested on the mattress and heard a small knock.

"Yeah?" I called halfheartedly.

I saw Angela walk in with sympathy written on her mildly aged features. She said nothing to me, only came to sit by my side and touch my shin with her delicate hand. I lifted myself up by my elbows, wincing from the soreness that burdened my sides.

"Lay back. Rest now, you will feel better within a few weeks if you stay relaxed." She said to me in her usual orderly tone.

My gaze softens at her tender care. I could always count on her to help me feel better, when things were tough. Her fingers slipped the photo I still had in my hand away and pinching one end, she held it close to her face to see clearly. It was Amélie and I, back when I was at my graduation dinner. I had asked for her to take a photo with me since Winston was busy discussing science things with a few professors of mine. I was eighteen at the time and I had just finished training to become a pilot. Every Overwatch agent was there, including Gérard Lacroix who was – at the time – the best agent we had. He was always crushing Talon's advances left and right even if they used their best men to stop him. He always knew how to get them good and the world was safer with him around.

"Don't take his words to heart, dear. He was only talking out of worry for you."

I groaned and let my head lit my pillow. "He's my friend. Why can't he just be on my side? It's his fault for recalling us again. If the government finds out they'd arrest us all with that dumb Petras Act."

"Some people just aren't as kind hearted as you. You have to learn how to accept other's thoughts. He's looking out for you and wants what's best." She said. "As do I."

I sighed. "I know...but I also want what's best for Amélie too. She's out there somewhere being this...this assassin agent! Angela, she's being controlled by them. Who knows how many more she'll kill under their influence."

Her eyes dropped. I hated seeing Angela sad because it only depressed me even more. She was always an angel to us all and her Valkyrie suit was partially designed by Winston to embody that. She put her hand on mine and looked at me with watering blue eyes. "I believe you."

"You do...?" I heard myself whisper. She glanced at Amélie's smiling face a moment then turned to me.

"Of course I do. She was my dear friend, how could I not?" Angela smiled but it faded. "I too worry about her. It's been so long since I've heard anything. After her disappearance, I counted her dead as well."

"I'd hate to believe that I did too..." I said guilty. Hearing Amélie's screams shook me. I had forgotten everything since Overwatch's fall. How could it not? My whole life was invested into it. My family, my uncle were all apart of the new home we called Overwatch. It was until I died. My body became disassociated through time and made me into a holographic ghost.

But yet, I was here through Winston. He worked so hard to bring me back and keep me alive that he had invented my chronal accelerator. He cared for me so much that he was determined to save me through trial and error and with everything he put in for me, he did.

 _Why can't he do that for me now?_

Angela's hand patted my leg, bringing me from my sub-consciousness. "You seem distracted. Is there something the matter? Are you feeling ill anywhere else?"

"No…I'm just overwhelmed you two are here is all." I lied.

She eyed me, but kept to herself. "Whatever bothers you, let me know. I love you."

Angela hugged me and kissed my forehead nurturing me with her care. I smiled since she had always done this to us as a mother would. "Thanks Ang. Love you too."

I sighed, laying back down after she left and resting an arm on my face. _How could I ever forget Amélie? Ever since I had met her, all I thought about was her at the time. Her sweet smile, soothing voice, those gorgeous eyes that looked over me with such care…_

 _Oh right._

 _I wanted to forget her._

* * *

"You did well. Continue this and you will be rewarded, Widowmaker." He said, looking at her with a broad smile. The smile she had worked hard to get.

Without a word she bowed and turned to exit, relishing that he acknowledged her kill. It was beautifully planned. Perfect. She wasted not a second of her training for that moment to kill the best target to advance their plans. In no time the world would know who they are and will fall subject to them.

Within the darkness of the warehouse, her heels clacked above on the metal paths suspended with wires. Below was death instilled with molten iron and machinery. The heat thickened the air and a soft wind tore through the smoke. There was that damned mercenary, arms crossed, staring at the woman leaning against the wall behind her.

"Don't think this is anything special." His dark voice rasped in the void between them. She halted, gripping her rifle's handles as the heat tensed her muscles. Her eyes followed the voice unlike her head. "One kill doesn't mean anything."

 _Imbécile._

"Don't waste your useless time telling me nonsense." She said, irritated with his impudence.

His scoff made it worse. "Do you honestly think you're worth something to them? You killed an omnic. Good for you."

Her eyes shut. She felt her fury sink under her skin. "You and I are no different. We both work for the same people, we both kill for them. If you were given the same task, you would have done it as well." She spoke lowly.

"Oh, but we _are_ different. It's very simple. I'm free, you're not."

She turned around sourly and met the black eyes of his mask.

"I come and go as I please while you're stuck here in a cage. You're worthless. You don't mean a damn thing. You're only a weapon that's done their job. Once you're useless to them they'll kill you and if they're feeling kind, they'll throw you out into the street like a dog." He said making no hesitation. "One mistake and you're dead to them, _Widowmaker._ "


	5. Lieutenant

"Yah!"

The man swung his arm, nearly hitting the black suited woman in the face with a balled fist. She avoided it easily and smiled cockily at his third attempt.

"Come on, is that the best you can do Ahmed?"

He huffed and came at the woman again, aiming at her stomach. She twirled, taking her arms under his and with two hands she had him in a backwards headlock. He yelled, unable to reach the laughing woman.

The other soldiers that stood around joined their lieutenant in laughter. The man then removed himself after feeling her grip weaken and brushed himself off like he hadn't been beaten by a woman just now.

"Who else wants a go?" Fareeha said, bouncing on her heels with her defined arms ready to take the next victim. "I can do this for hours!"

"Me, lieutenant." A man said, coming down after being seated atop one of the artillery crates. Fareeha smiled as her friend joined her in the ring she had made in the dirt.

"You sure you don't want another rookie to take me on? There seems to be plenty here with pride to try and wrangle me down." She said, seeing his aging copper eyes smile. The man whom she had come to know as her second laughed towards the newer soldiers, intimidating them with his widespread grin. She noticed their wary stares and kept to herself her amusement.

"They'll know why you're the leader'."

Fareeha nodded, trusting him. Their quarrels were lighthearted to them unlike the others who were prejudiced with their friendship. Like any old relationship, she liked them rough and interesting. It spiced up their time when others imagined a rivalry, when in reality, they were like family.

He was at arms with her, standing only a foot taller. She was already tall enough and towered over the others whenever they came up to her. He offered the first move, a strong strike of the knee which Fareeha blocked with her own. They waltzed around multiple times before, as she predicted, he swung his beefy arms to knock her straight in the jaw. Fareeha deflected the blows and sidestepped his movements that were unlike hers. She was more agile while he was built to withstand anything.

Another punch he gave and she ducked. The man nearly twice her size could have killed her if he aimed at her chest, had she no knowledge of defense. He aimed there with a fist and with both her palms, she shielded herself from collision. The force drove her feet a few inches backwards into the dirt. The others around her were amazed at her feats which were unlike what they proved to her within the hour.

Fareeha blew a few strands of black hair that fell between her eyes and looked up to see her friend.

"Anything else?" She asked with a smug grin.

The man withdrew his fist and without warning, he took Fareeha into his arms and lifted her off the ground. She fidgeted in his grasp, losing her cool as the man and the others laughed with their leader's struggle.

She gave in after a few moments and then hugged back to be released.

"Tayyeb!" She commanded after seeing the cooks signal her that they were ready. "Playtime's over! Everyone eat!"

After patrolling her crew line up from the outside of the large ship docked, Fareeha grabbed her own plate of boiled ta'amiya, rice and kofta.

The wind blew gently as she ate in solitude atop a large rock. She overlooked the vast plains of the Iraqi desert seeing as far as her eyes could take her. This land reminded her of home, back in Giza. Fareeha smiled to herself while she ate her meal quietly, relishing the scents of warm air and sand in her nostrils. The sun beat down on them all, most of the soldiers having taken refuge in the shade of some date palm that were around their stations.

She saw some of the newer soldiers glance her way. They were halted by the elders of the crew, who knew her better than most. Her soldiers respected her as she was alone often, busy gathering thoughts or simply taking time for herself from the busy work day. She always had to keep these people in line, even if they were only idle and standing guard.

As she rested back onto an elbow, someone approached her from the side with a small cup in hand and a smile. Her second, Jamir.

"Your favorite." He said then walked back to sit with his companions. Fareeha took the cup, and sipped it lightly, favoring the taste on her tongue with pleasure. The tea was hot but not hot enough to burn. It was mellow and piquant with the few mint leaves that rested along the bottom of the cup.

Then, she felt a buzz. Fareeha took out her phone while setting the tea down and glanced towards the unknown caller I.D. It was odd for them to call since it was a private number but out of curiosity she answered.

"Alo."

"Is this Fareeha?" The voice asked in the other line, carrying a Swiss accent. The lieutenant shifted her body and sat up on the rock.

"Who is calling?" She pressed, growing a bit suspicious.

"It's your personal guardian angel."

Fareeha's eyebrows raised and she quickly cleared her throat in embarrassment. "Oh! I'm so sorry Angela, I didn't recognize the number. How are you doing?"

She chuckled on the other line, calming Fareeha with her soft voice. "It's ok, I didn't think you would. I should be asking you the same thing."

The lieutenant lay down onto the hot stone and stretched her legs out from underneath her. "Yes yes! I'm doing fine, just relaxing here since it's the lunch hour." Fareeha held the cup's handle by her index and thumb and swirled the small amount of tea left. "What can I do for you, doctor?"

"I need to ask a favor. Would you be able to take work leave?"

* * *

 _All was quiet. The search lights were bright against the clear night sky of the Midwest, stretching vast along the plains. The moon was high, marking it near the new morning. A few birds sung their songs which brought music to the lieutenant's weary ears._

 _Fareeha set her rocket launcher down on the table where there were a few clipped papers and an empty tea cup she had from earlier. She set her phone down on the table as well and sat down on the floor with her legs spread out._

 _"Are you tired, lieutenant?" Jamir said, coming to rest by her side._

 _Fareeha lifted her honey colored visor and replied with a slight chuckle. "Not even. Though it is tiring standing about all day carrying this armor."_

 _Her friend nodded, lifting his helmet well above his eyes to take it off. He allowed for his chocolate dreadlocks to come down from the bun he wore to join the others that were resting on his neck. "I hear you. Just don't tell the others."_

 _Her eyes wandered around Jamir, searching for a certain thermos. "And the tea? Have you brought it?"_

 _"Of course Fareeha. Always for my favorite captain." He smiled, taking from behind him an old worn down satchel. He placed it on his lap and opened the thick leather flap, showing inside the large ceramic cups and a tall ginger thermos. He took them out carefully and handed Fareeha a cup, prepared the leaves, and poured hot water into the cup that turned dark as the leaves soaked at the bottom._

 _The woman took her cup and smelled the minty aroma that overrode her senses with memories of her homeland. As a child, she always took time to drink her favorite beverage and with her second being from Mansoura, it was always possible._

 _"Thank you. Have you finished the last patrol?"_

 _"Yes." He confirmed, placing his elbows on his knees akin to her. She could tell he was exhausted. "We covered the four ends and secured the stations. Though if you want to double check, you might as well do it now. The night is high and everyone's asleep."_

 _"I guess I should, the rookies never do that."_

 _Jamir laughed, stroking back his hair. "They never do. Good night, leutenant."_

 _Fareeha nodded, standing back up after she finished her tea. She gave it back to the man and took off a few feet in front of him. She guided her flight with her body's maneuvers, flying with her jets high above the facility she was assigned to keep secure. She flew past a banner that waved frantically as the wind picked up, bearing the tragic sign of Overwatch along the watchtowers._

 _The lieutenant shot upwards and continued till she reached the warehouses. She landed on both feet as her footwear absorbed the shock. She leaned to the left to place the password into a thin touchscreen pad, that had recognized her name. Amari._

 _One by one she went till all the warehouses were covered. Fareeha walked inside the last one, holding her rocket launcher firmly. This was the one the boys liked to mess around in, since it contained all the weaponry Overwatch had developed or was developing before the program's shut down._

 _It was dark inside without the lights, and with the only one emoting from the exit sign above, she searched quickly for the large box on the wall. Her fingers felt the switches and she flicked them all at once to light the arsenal. Rifles, cannons, bazookas, grenades, and a mile high of ammo laid in a blanket of dust on the stands. Some of the weapons she recognized from when she went with her mother to the workplace. One caught her attention, a high powered rifle that was only a prototype to the one they never fully created - or so they said._

 _Fareeha looked carefully at the weapon that was displayed in a glass case. She wiped away the dust that had hardened on the glass and revealed the blue barreled rifle._

 _In the description, said: Heavy Pulse Rifle, prototype 00376D. Developed by Overwatch_ _ **[HANDLE WITH CARE].**_

 _She stepped back, looking at the case again. There was something different about this gun than the others. Maybe that it ran on energy rather than bullets. It emitted a strange feeling, something that only Overwatch could bring. Nostalgia maybe, but this was a feeling that dropped down Fareeha's stomach and chilled her nerves._

 _She turned away and continued until she was back to the exit to turn off the lights. Scanning the room for one final check, she flipped the switches and exited the room, locking it from the touch pad on the side._

 _Fareeha's ears perked._

 _Hearing the sound of boots running behind the walls of the warehouse, she paused to listen closely. These footsteps were faster than what her men could run at most by several strides. She reached for the touch pad again, but hovered it over. Maybe they were just some foolish rookies, she thought._

 _Crash._

 _She unlocked it urgently and blasted herself high above the stands of artillery. She searched around while she hovered with her jets and found the glass case shattered on the floor and the thief running towards the back._

 _"Code red! I repeat, code red! There's an intruder! Move out now!" She commanded into the headset on her helmet. She flew above and tracked down the man who had disappeared into the shadows._

 _Jamir answers her call immediately. "We're on our way. Is he armed?"_

 _"Yes," she replied and got hold of his figure turning the corner. The man blasted his way out the secure exit way and sprinted out with the prototype close to his chest. "He's got hold onto one of the weapons. Section 24C, keep your eyes on him!"_

 _At once the alarms sounded, waking every individual in the watch point. Fareeha kept her eyes glued to the intruder's jacket with the number 76 and aimed her gun to him. "You're not going anywhere." She said to herself and fired the first shot._

 _One rocket flew past the man, marking a crater onto the ground next to him. Pieces of concrete and dirt flew in all directions with the second rocket. Fareeha stretched her neck, losing the intruder in the smoke below but regained her vision as he continued to run._

 _A fleet of soldiers came, all armed and flying towards her in V formation. They fired at the man, without her mindset to keep him alive through this. Fareeha held her breath. Once the rockets hit the man, he would be dead._

 _As the rockets neared, the intruder activated a holographic visor from his mask and countered each rocket with a shot that exploded them back towards her men._

 _Fareeha gasped as she witnessed them falling back hard, colliding onto the ground with broken wings and blood coming from their visors. She saw Jamir to be one of them, and grit her teeth. The man shot again, sending three energy charged missiles towards her._

 _She dodged them by nearly a foot with one colliding with her wing at the tip. The lieutenant forced her jets to extend to full throttle, holding her up in the air for a limited time. She had to catch him before he ran out of the area, her mind screamed. Fareeha twisted her head as she heard gunshots and saw more of her men fall down towards the earth._

 _"Ibn el caleb!" She cursed. The lieutenant lowered her head. She had to shoot him, she had no other choice. Fareeha aimed her rocket launcher as she zoomed through the air like a bullet. She aimed a few feet in front of him and shot. He dodged, already knowing her middle would land where she aimed for._

 _She shot again, he rolled away from the smoke._

 _Another, missed._

 _"Jamir!" She called into her headset. "He's headed for the dam. Get the others to block his path!"_

 _A heavy dam lay along the borders of Grand Mesa, rimming out a large river for energy around the entire area including the Overwatch base. The falls of the dam, which were sectioned out by four cube shaped holes within the massive walls gushed endless gallons down below, where the water pooled and continued hundreds of feet below. The intruder headed towards the dam and had not stopped short of the missiles sent his way._

 _Fareeha halted. She feared the safety of the dam as well as her men around it. She was ordered to protect it and secure the shutdown base. If anything powerful were to strike the dam, the entire thing would collapse and they would lose the power that had been generated. For her men and the intruder, she could not take the risk of having any lives taken and for the man to be dead when she would hand him in for the government's custody._

 _"All soldiers retreat!" She commanded, as more were coming. "Do not engage!"_

 _Jamir's weakened voice rang in the intercom. "What about the intruder lieutenant?"_

 _"I will get him." She said, lowering her visor._

 _At once, Fareeha dipped down as she saw the man jump off the edge without a second thought. She cursed out loud, flipping herself in the air and zooming down at full velocity down to the man. She had let go of her rocket launcher and extended as far as her arms would allow to grasp even the tips of her fingers to the man's clothing. He sensed her, and flipped himself over to come mask to mask with the lieutenant._

 _She had no time to react as the prototype was pointed towards her. She had to release the corner she had held onto or fight him. Fareeha grabbed the barrel of the thick gun and pointed it up just as he shot. He kicked at her suit, Fareeha spinning lower into the forming steam as they neared the bottom. She propelled them both through the air, losing firepower the longer her damaged wings worked._

 _She used her upper body strength to keep the gun from her body at the same time trying to pull it from his grasp. But his grip was so strong, and they were falling fast. She expanded her wings once more to hover, but smoke began to erupt from the machinery hooked onto her Raptora suit._

 _Fareeha's eyes widened and she screamed, seeing her frightened reflection in the man's red mask before plunging into the foggy steam of the falls._

 _She felt weightless._

 _A heavy weight released from her shoulders and from her visor she saw nothing but white._

 _Fareeha breathed._

 _She blinked once, not even realizing she had closed her eyes and saw the light soften with a heavenly light. How could that be? Am I really...dead? She wondered. The lieutenant tried to move, but felt slender arms around her waist. She felt no concussion, no pain. What caught her chocolate eyes was the golden light in front of her. It expanded through the fog like feathers and behind the wings waved a burned ginger banner._

 _Fareeha moved her fingers and felt what had touched them. At once she heard the most beautiful voice coax her ears softly._

 _"I did not expected to see you again like this, Fareeha."_

 _Before she could ask who, the voice answered her as if she already knew. "I promised I would always be your personal guardian angel."_

* * *

"Oh come on! Why do I have to wear this?" I groaned, tugging at the tight sky blue dress I was forced to wear. I looked into the mirror, twisting myself to see different angles.

Angela placed her hands on her hips and looked me over. "Because Lena, we have a meeting tonight and I want you to dress elegantly. Oh! You look so cute!"

I rolled my eyes. Of course. Angela Ziegler, the woman who looked gorgeous in a tight black dress with a built-in scarf would say that. Whoever we were seeing _has got_ to be important, or else I'd be upset for having to wear this scratchy thing for no reason. "Yeah, yeah. Y'know, you could have picked out a suit or something for me. I hate wearing these things!"

"You always wore dresses before. Why not now?" Angela said, tying the sash around my waist a little too tight for my liking.

"That's cause' I never got the chance to have a suit. I was always stuck with that one dress – remember the frilly yellow one? My mum got it for me at a city fair once and shipped it to me for prom while I was at Gibraltar." I laughed, causing Angela to chuckle as well.

"Yes I remember. You could have told me you didn't like them before, I don't have a bad memory." She said, turning towards the door. I followed her out, making sure the straps of my charger weren't damaging the dress. I didn't like it when people bought me things, but it was Angela and I couldn't say no to her gifts. She thought of me which was already enough since she bought me a dress that was two times the amount of my yearly paycheck…

I shrugged and saw Winston with a suit on. For a gorilla, he looked posh in his attire, and was awfully cute as he adjusted his bowtie. He smiled at me as did I and said, "How do I look? I haven't worn this since our awards ceremony."

"You look amazing Winston!" I said, giving him a thumbs up.

"Alright, is everyone ready? Our driver is outside waiting for us." Angela said, clapping her hands and readying the small black purse she carried under her arm. We nodded and went out the door before I locked it and secured the facility. We were taken a few miles away from King's Row, near to the heart of London where there was a big fancy restaurant named The Ledbury. Everything was elegant – from the fine black and white entrance, to the employees and their posh manners. They greeted Angela as if they knew her personally and walked us to a reserved place in the back with a hand extended to guide us there.

I hid behind Winston who wasn't bothered by the eyes of the servers who waited for us to be seated. They stared us down, knowing who we were. _If it weren't for this charger I would be unrecognizable,_ I thought. The people smiled at me and I smiled back, but something in my gut told me otherwise. I breathed, walking till a door leading to the next room blocked their vision of us. Here I exhaled and saw who we were meeting.

A woman, tall and beautiful with a few strands of raven hair in small braids greeted us as she rose from her seat in a big round booth. Her attire was similar to Winston's with a navy suit, and white blouse. The only thing that was different was that she had on a tie and a few metals from some country's military. She stood with her back straight, her eyes sharp and smiled serenely. "Hello Angela."

Angela tucked her blonde bangs behind her ear as she smiled and took the woman's hand who had extended towards her. "Fareeha."

"Well I'll be. Fareeha Amari!" Winston said while touching his glasses up his nose. "It's been so long since I've seen you!"

He took Fareeha's hand and shook it in both of his, as if admiring her. I had no idea who this was, but her name was the same as an agent I knew. Angela turned towards me and brought me into the woman's presence with a hand on my back. "Lena, this is the daughter of the late Ana Amari."

Fareeha took my hand in a shake. Her hand was callous and firm, making me feel how thin I was compared to her. I could've sworn she'd break something with all that strength. "Uh yeah, hi!"

She laughed. "Please sit, I've ordered us all wine in the meantime."

We all got ourselves seated, Angela to Fareeha's side and myself to Winston's. He and I looked over the menu together, as I noticing all the high priced meals. I shouldn't worry about paying since Angela would have us covered. Her late family was extremely wealthy from their medical careers and since I've known my dear friend for a while, she'd always insist on her paying for everything, so I've grown accustomed to it. Hell, if I could ever afford a 80 pound dinner for myself.

"So uh, not to seem rude but why are we here?" I asked shyly from behind the menu. Fareeha looked to me and then towards the doctor.

"What, you didn't _tell_ them?"

Angela set down her menu and looked at us. "For the past week I've been observing you two and I've concluded both of you are in terrible shape and need to work out a bit more." Her blue eyes practically glared at Winston. "Particularly you."

My friend gulped. I wasn't that unfit, I ran often with the help of my accelerator. It was freeing to sprint and jump around with powers that let you zip past like one of those comic book heroes. Winston on the other hand…I didn't know about. By the looks of it, he had gained some weight but I didn't want to say anything because it would just be mean. His diet of bananas and peanut butter wasn't going to sustain him around much if he wanted to go out and protect civilians like the good ol' days.

"Which is why I contacted the best trainer I know." Angela continued. "She's going to help you get back into shape and off your lazy asses. And don't you _but_ me, I've seen your medical records written into Athena's system and she tells me exactly what you've been doing."

Winston grumbled beside me and looked away. I wanted to laugh but I was just as guilty. So much for Coke and crisps. Angela must've found my stash of beer in one of the mini fridges back at home too near where I usually play pool to. Since I lived alone for the last few years, it was always out in the open for me to reach for whenever I was around that area.

"As for you." I heard her. "Your records are good, healthy heart rate. Your diet could also use some fixing and maybe some hand to hand combat should beef up those arms. Just in case, you never know when you need to fight hand to hand. Fareeha will train you both accordingly, starting tomorrow."

We both groaned while Fareeha laughed at our ' _misfortune'_.

 **-A/N-**

 **UGH I'm so sorry for the long wait! My sister just recently got married and I was one of her bridesmaids! So, it was a very busy few weeks and sadly I haven't had time to settle down and write since I've been so busy helping her. That being said, new chapter will be written soon. No telling when but soon! :) Thank you all for your patience and I hope everyone's had a good week!**


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